'Pay-to-play' demonstrates need for reform, panel told

The "pay-to-play" political scandals linked to former Govs. George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich show why Illinois needs stricter campaign-finance laws, members of a new ethics panel were told on Monday.

Adriana Colindres

The "pay-to-play" political scandals linked to former Govs. George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich show why Illinois needs stricter campaign-finance laws, members of a new ethics panel were told on Monday.

Meeting at the University of Illinois at Springfield, the Illinois Reform Commission heard several suggestions on how to fix the state’s campaign-finance system. They included imposing limits on the size of campaign contributions and requiring political campaign committees to file detailed reports more frequently.

The commission didn't decide anything Monday. It will convene again March 5 in Chicago, and Chairman Patrick Collins said he expects the panel to decide on its recommendations soon afterward.

"This is a time like no other, and we have to think big and bold," Collins said.

Any changes in campaign finance law would have to be approved by the General Assembly.

However, state lawmakers have "a profound interest in ensuring that the status quo is not changed," Cindi Canary of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform told the commission.

Lawmakers have often contended that contribution limits are unnecessary and wouldn't prevent corruption, Canary said. But the problem, she added, is that the current system is "obviously not working."

"Time and again, our political scandals can be boiled down to one common element: the unbridled quest for campaign money."

Kent Redfield, a political scientist at UIS, called for contribution limits and tougher enforcement of campaign finance laws. The Illinois State Board of Elections could play the role of enforcer, he said.

Albert Porter, chairman of the State Board of Elections, told the Reform Commission the board already has plenty to do.

Just 16 percent of the board's budget is dedicated to administering campaign finance laws, he said, adding: "We are doing a ton of other things in addition to that one item."

Porter also said the board hasn't been able to carry ou tall the provisions of a new ethics law because legislators didn't provide any money for its implementation.

The new law, which took effect Jan. 1, bars people or businesses with government contracts worth $50,000 or more from making political contributions to the state officeholders who award the contracts. In addition, the State Board of Elections must create and maintain a searchable database with this information.

Porter said the board sought $465,000 from the General Assembly to cover the expenses of administering the new law, but the measure was passed without any funding.

The Illinois Reform Commission, created early last month by now-Gov. Pat Quinn, is responsible for coming up with ideas on how to fix state government. It will scrutinize a variety of subjects, including political campaigns, government transparency and codes of conduct.

Lawrence Oliver, a member of the Reform Commission, told his colleagues Monday that the allegations of wrongdoing against Ryan and Blagojevich "made it painfully clear that campaign-finance reform would be squarely in our crosshairs."

Questions on newly appointed U.S. Sen. Roland Burris' contacts with Blagojevich associates about fund-raising have "only added emphasis to the importance of this subject and intensified this commission's effort," Oliver said.

A full schedule of the commission's meetings is available on the commission’s Web site: www.reformillinoisnow.org.

Adriana Colindres can be reached at (217)782-6292 or adriana.colindres@sj-r.com